July 26, 2011

McDonald's announced today that all of their Happy Meals will soon contain apple slices and a reduced portion of french fries. Happy Meals, which have been criticized for contributing to childhood obesity, will also come with a choice of new fat-free chocolate milk or 1% low-fat white milk. Despite the facelift, the major elements of the Happy Meal remain intact: a choice of cheeseburger, hamburger or chicken nuggets, plus fries. Children may also still choose soda for their Happy Meal. The new changes will begin in September, but all of the restaurants may not make the changes until 2012. According to CNN, the suggested retail price of the Happy Meal will remain unchanged at between $2.99 to $3.49.

Women who discuss the abortion pill, also known as mifepristone, with a doctor via videoconference do just as well in terms of a successful abortion and side effects as those who go into the office. The study was conducted at Iowa Planned Parenthood clinics and involved 449 women, 223 of whom talked to a doctor remotely before being prescribed the abortion pill. The abortion success rate in women who videoconferenced with a doctor was 99 percent compared to 97 percent who had a face-to-face meeting. Even though 25 percent would have liked to meet the doctor in person, 91 percent were very satisfied with how things went. Researchers conclude that “telemedicine” is a safe way to provide medical abortion to women who do not have easy access to clinics that offer such services.